ISLAM AND PEACEFULNESS

I am taking this opportunity to thank the Science and Islamic Cultural Institute for inviting me to attend this Seminar. I believe this Seminar will strengthen the ties between Russia and Malaysia in order for world peace to exist.

Lately, our world has seen the wrath of God in many forms of destruction; to pay back what humans have cruelly done to their own brothers and to nature itself. The Holy Quran had mentioned, that the spoils on this earth and under the sea, are all the doings of man. Even though, everything in the air and on earth is for man to relish, not only does men relish and use it for the conveniences in their lives; they violate, overpower, misuse and finally destroy it altogether.

The Holy Quran reminds us “be cautious against slander that does not only befall the cruel amongst yourselves (but it will befall on all of you)".

God created this universe with two systems that connect with one another. The first system plans the journey that nature takes. The second, is a system that arranges relations between man and man, relations of man and nature and relations of man and God. If we return to live in this complete system properly, we will be able to save this earth from disaster; it does not matter if the disaster is created by man or by the wrath of God towards the cruel and the despicable.

The protection of this world and the peace on earth depends on every single action that man makes. The anger of the world is what allows destruction to happen and it is based on the inhumane way that man treats it without pity until the ecology is destroyed thus threatening the balance structure of its core.

The protection and peacefulness is threathened when man lives out of the ’system’ that arranges the relations between man and man. This ‘system’ not only upholds good, decent values but moves away from bad values like disrespect, being power greedy and violation. If the strong uses its logic strength to overpower the weak and at the same time loses all respect towards the rights and the rights of others, violation and war will reign, making this world a living hell.

On the other hand, if man is consistently educated and developed through a teaching as what is being taught by Islam, this world will be a better place to live life to its fullest.

Islam teaches man to always remember himself by these words; “Dear God, YOU are Peace and you are the Tranquility and from YOU comes forth Peace and the Tranquility, and to YOU will Peace and the Tranquility return, so let us live in Peace and Tranquility". This saying should be a daily reminder if peace and tranquility is seeked, bringing forth leaders that give importance to them. Every citizen of a country should build a strong wall to protect this peace and tranquility in their country.

Violence happens because of the dysfunctional ‘system’ that arranges relations between men. The soul is taught to love peace and tranquility from religion and because of that dysfunctional ‘system’, stress, pressure, hate and anger flare. The hater and the one hated exist because of this ‘system’, they than start to become violent and cruel and is met with the same response – violence and cruelty.

Violence cannot be blamed on one part only. The Islamic solution is to return to the fairness in understanding, returning back what has been taken from its place and giving respect where respect is due. Justice according to Islam must be upheld even if it is the enemy. This is because cruelty acts such as violation will not bring any good to the winning side or the losing side. Usually, the country that has violated another will often suffer its consequences. The economic and social status of this once, strong violating country becomes limp and this is the most obvious show for its actions. Man main’s responsibility to avoid violence, violation and cruelty is to repair the ‘system’.

The ‘system’ that arranges the relations between men. I believe we should reconsider the United Nations system and that we should build our principles on the fairness and the strength to want peace and tranquility for all. It is not right at all for the concept of the strong taking advantage of the weak and have to follow the wants and the demands of the strong, and the UN putting aside all fairness in judgments to please the strong. This will not stop the violence and violation from happening. It will continue to fail in upholding the righteousness and tranquility.


We have to re-value our civilization now. It starts with rebellion on the old systems and followed by dictatorship and two world wars, followed by the cold war, followed by violence and unilateral globalization that sees cruelty and unfairness on all back ward countries trying to develop. This imbalance creates a big dent in contribution to science and technology thus we have to do some research in its actual roles in humanity. We have to ensure that the kitchen knife used to cut vegetables is not used to kill humans.

We must strive to build a civilization that will bring blessings into the entire universe. “and We did not send you out to be but a blessing to the entire universe”. A blessed civilization that is filled with all the good values of being fair in love and life. A life that respects one another with much added variety to make it harmonious and beautiful.

“dear Man, WE created you, man and woman and We made you of many races and kabilah (clans) for you to get to know each other. Be known that amongst you of many is the one most pious”.



















ISLAMIC CONTRIBUTION TO CIVILIZATION


I do not wish to repeat on my speech about Islamic contributions to the past civilizations. My attention is on the efforts of bringing about the human civilization back and what we have learned in this process. Our civilization is filled with so many impurities and is over-powered by cruelty, violence, destruction to the ecology. This is all because of man’s greediness to overcome truth, reason and logic. Violence, social and moral breakdown as well as the ecological dysfunction are all none Islamic products or even any other religion for that matter. It is a product of this civilization that is going all limp.

This civilization that does not only violate the rights of a country but it attacks reason, attacks the truth and attacks the logic of good morals and pushes aside the serious signs that God wants to show this universe.

Not long before America launched the invasion of Iraq, the longest serving Senator, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, stood on the Senate floor and said, “this Chamber is, for the most part, silent – ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing. We stand passively mute in the United States senate”.
He than added “Why does reason, logic and truth seem to play a sharply diminished role in the way America now makes important decisions”? Well…this is America folks and this is how they make decisions on humanity. America that grades itself as the most developed and the most civilized in the world does not apply logic and reason to any decision-making it has to make. It is this civilization that is generating violence and moral decadence and bringing about the worst threat to mankind.

Is mankind today allowing themselves to be over-run and over-powered by a barbaric civilization that turns a blind eye to reason, to truth, morality and humanity? We have to do something to bring back logic and reason in our lives and allow good morals to brighten and cleanse our minds once again.

Allow the light and blessings of Allah taála shine our paths in life. We can do it if we do not give up. If greed, lust, violence and cruelty have become dominant in today’s civilization, why cant reason, logic and truth come into power again? Why are we not confident that morality and God’s guidance will enhance and light up our lives again to live in peace and harmony amongst the many races and religions of the world?

In this effort, I believe Islam and all other sky religions will contribute to prevent greed, violence and moral decadence in being part of our lives. I feel strongly that reason, logic and truth as well as God’s guidance will be the alternative to returning the civilization that was once honorable and high in humanity.

Islam took the first step in building a civilization that were role models to humanity. Mankind must move with its potential and grow with the spirit, mind, body and soul.

Man remains the core of civilization. If the body grows without a properly educated mind, you will have a man that does not love the goodness and nobility of life will have the behaviour and mannerisms of animals. We need a civilization that is created with a balance of reason, logic and truth as well as high moral values. A new civilization will be one that stops war, fight to stop wars from starting and prevent violation of rights holding strong to reason, truth and logic to make decisions.

In order to understand the wisdom that Islam has readied for us, we need to promote all aspects of Islamic civilization or better known as Islam Hadhari. The wisdom from the Holy Quran is the base of the restructuring of this civilization. We need to change the western mould to our own mould. We are striving to move modernization but not religion and to walk hand in hand with Islamic values and principles.

We are confident that from the aspect of Islamic wisdom can be shared and enjoyed by various religions. This is because Islam does not disturb the core of other religions. For you, your religion and for me, my religion – there is no forcing in religion.